


Rhythm and Signs

by TheMockingCrows



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Deaf!John, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-05
Updated: 2012-11-05
Packaged: 2017-11-18 00:41:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/554989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMockingCrows/pseuds/TheMockingCrows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Dave spots John in the hallway, it's love at first sight. After begging his friend Rose for info on the attractive guy, he goes out on a limb to ask him out, only to make an embarrassing discovery moments too late. Is it possible for them to wind up together despite his awkward fumble? Does John even care about the mistake?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rhythm and Signs

Dave was at an absolute loss about what he should do. When he transferred schools, nothing had caught his attention as much as the mystery brunette that he always saw walking between classes. Apparently, his name was John, though he hadn’t heard that from him. A girl named Rose had informed him who he was.

She’d also said that he had a penchant for shitty movies and videogames, comic books and junk food. After he and Rose had gotten closer, when he slyly asked what kind of videogames, comic books, movies and junk food John liked, she presented him with a generalized list, a copy of his class schedule, and a memo to propose with a Big Mac.

They had no classes together, but at least once or twice their paths would overlap. It also seemed like they had lunch together, though there wasn’t going to be much luck in randomly finding him in the crowd. He just needed to find a time to make his move, was all.  

Opportunity knocked in the form of a perfectly aligned walk in the halls, Dave casually striking up conversation, a normal “Hey, man, what’s hangin’?” with his hands stuck in his pockets. Smooth. Perfect.

Totally ignored as the brunette walked by without hesitation.

Oh.. Well. Maybe he just didn’t know Dave was addressing him, assuming someone else was being talked to? He raised his arm and tried again, loudly saying “Hey. HEY. John!”

More being ignored.  

Okay.. Maybe he was just really antisocial? Shy? No, he was waving to a group of people down the hall and jogging towards them easily now, disappearing around the bend of lockers towards the stairwell.

That wasn’t a pang of sadness Dave was feeling. Not at all. Nor was it the feeling of rejection, inadequacy or anger. There was nothing there at all, which he continually said when Rose was informed of the mishap the next day. Nothing but vague curiosity.

Maybe slightly tinged with worry.

Spritzed liberally with “Oh God, what did I do wrong.”

Sprinkled with “Rose, please, why does this guy hate me. I just want to talk to him, work the Strider magic. He didn’t even give me the time of day, Jesus Dick. Come on, tell me. Can you talk to him for me? You know him, right?”

“Dave, I’m not so certain that would do much for your interest in dating him.”

“Dating him? I’ve never even spoken to the guy, I just think he’s hot.”

“Then feel free to find some more approachable eye candy, mayhaps?”

“Okay, fine. Just. Striders don’t get the overwhelming urge to date someone on sight. It wasn’t even a desire to get in his pants, I just..”

“Just?”

“I have this really strong need to kiss him and maybe touch his hair.”

“Maybe hold his hand?”

“Yeah.”

“Stare passionately into his eyes?”

“Yeah..  I guess so. I haven’t gotten a really clear look at them. They’re really bright blue, right?”

“Oh, yes, very bright blue, and very clear. I’ve a feeling you can get much closer to them once you try giving a proper introduction to him tomorrow.”

Dave sighed and sagged, dropping his head onto the table, forehead stinging. He felt like a ragdoll. A very cranky, hormonal ragdoll. Rose was prattling at length about how best to woo this John Egbert, making the fatal mistake of assuming that Dave was even listening to anything she was saying at all.

“Hey, Rose. I’m gonna head home a bit early.”

“Skipping class? Really, now, Dave. Bad form.”

“Eh,” he said as he pushed up to stand straight, shrugging. “I live on the wildest side. The side that doesn’t participate and can’t be bothered to regret it.” Hands once more in his pockets, Dave slipped down the halls and out the front door, wanting to walk back to their apartment and clear his head.

He had to think.

There had to be some way of making an impression.. Maybe a present? Yeah, people liked presents, that’d make one Hell of an impression for sure. A big red ‘notice me’ sign any time he looked at it, till it was either enjoyed or thrown in the trash. Even then, likely to not be forgotten.

Photographs? No, too niche.

A nice preserved frog? That’d work! …No. No, dead things before the first date are a pretty big doom to failure.

Music? Yeah.. Yeah, that was the ticket. It was cliché as fuck, and would be beautiful and perfect if he got his supplies right. Maybe Bro could help him out with this little project, give those sick beats the proper level. While skilled, his brother could always out mix him.

Dave stayed up most of the night compiling a list of songs for the single copy of ‘Hey I just met you, and this is crazy, but here’s my single, so kiss the DJ.’ He drew a CD cover for the clear plastic case, trying his best to make it not shitty on purpose, sketching out cogs and gears to match the slight industrial feel to the tunes it held. Fire for the heat. Sunglasses, if only to etch the connection into his mind, that the kid who never takes off his prescription shades was the one who delivered this thing into being.

He was going to deliver it and be bold, touch his shoulder, reach out to him. Not take no for an answer. Be optimistic and brave with no worry or regrets. Full of bravado and courage, the blonde trotted through the hallway to catch up with the weaving brunette, catching him near the stairs by tugging at the back of his shirt.

(Oh, fuck, I could totally grab his ass right now. He’d get pissed though, huh. But Christ, LOOK at that ASS, it’s PERFECT. Fuck, I’m taking after Bro now.. Focus, focus, FOCUS.)

“Hey. John, right? I’m Dave,” he chimed after John turned to stare at him in confusion. Who the heck was this guy? Without missing a beat, he held the CD case out, pressing it into the others hands. “Well. Weird as it sounds, I noticed you a while back, and you’ve kinda been on my mind ever since. Was wondering if you’d like to hang out sometime.” It took a pause and an extra breath to work up the nerve to add “Maybe see a movie?”

Bright blue eyes focused on him intently, watching his own reflection in the sunglasses, appraising him for a moment. Then smiling the most beautiful smile Dave had ever seen on someone before, buck teeth and all. He really -was- perfect, oh God. His heart was lifting as he watched the gaze shift down to the CD case, opening it up to check the artwork closer, look at the CD itself. He hadn’t said a word yet, only smiled.

(Be cool, be cool. Everything’s going great. He looks happy, and the music was delivered. Fucking score, simple game of waiting now. Come on Strider magic, don’t be taking a fucking holiday on me now.)

Dave’s blood ran cold the moment he realized John was talking to him at last, without moving his lips. Both hands were raised and signing like crazy, excited, still smiling brightly. There was no way for him to know what was being signed at him, not knowing sign language in the slightest, tense, panicking. What was he supposed to do? Smile and nod? What if something was being asked of him..? There was no way he could respond.

The full realization hit him, face coloring brightly as he stammered and backed up, turning, fleeing into the crowd without looking back. John hadn’t reacted to him that first time because he wasn’t able to hear him at all. He’d just given a CD to someone who couldn’t hear. He looked, likely, like a gigantic fucking asshole for not knowing.

Rose must have known, and she didn’t warn him either. Was it some kind of belated hazing of the new kid? Humiliate the fuck out of him on purpose as a cultural tradition in these parts? He should have gone with the pictures, of the frog. Anything but that stupid CD he’d spent so much time on, oh GOD. It wasn’t even music with lyrics on most of them, the few that did have some were original raps. There would be no listing of the lyrics.

 

 

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] at 17:34 --

[TG]: were you ever going to tell me

[TT]: Tell you what, Dave?

[TG]: about john being deaf

[TG]: like were you just going to let me find out on my own like that from the beginning

[TG]: was it funny or something

[TG]: come on rose let me know whats up

[TT]: Ah, I see you found out. Wasn’t that simple?

[TG]: simply making an ass of myself means i have to say yes

[TT]: I’m certain it wasn’t nearly as bad as you’re saying it was. You have a flair for theatrics a mile long, Dave.

[TG]: i gave him a mixed cd and then ran away to have a panic attack

[TT]: I obviously stand corrected. Dave, listen, it’s really not as bad as you say it was. Did he punch you or look mad?

[TG]: no he just kept smiling and then started signing at me

[TG]: but i don’t know any sign language so i just felt dumber and dumber and then i had to bug the fuck out of there

[TT]: I see. Well. Would you be very averse to trying to converse with him again in the future?

[TG]: after that probably not

[TG]: id much rather stay in my nice little pile of denial and rock that for a bit

[TT]: My erotic friendfiction schedule is going to take one Hell of a hit.

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] has blocked tentacleTherapist [TT] --

 

Dave skipped school the next day, refusing to run the risk of running headlong into John, not wanting to deal with Rose and her bullshit. He’d unblock her in a day or so, once the annoyance had faded. The second day went much as the same, allowing him to turn it into a four day weekend of laying around playing videogames that glitched people into walls on the tricks, surfing the internet, watching movies.

If not for Bro physically dragging him to school in the truck, it would have been a five day weekend.

The teachers made him collect his late work after each class, refusing to take no for an answer. Of course it made him run later than usual, made him angry and distracted as he walked the halls to get to the next class and the next pile of stupid ass late work. By some miracle, he avoided John and ignored Rose enough to make her keep her distance.

Getting back online was like some kind of reward  that evening, ignoring the homework in favor of YouTube and his websites. He could work on that shit later, when he was absolutely bored. Or needing to cover his ass to graduate. Whichever came first, really.

The ding of Pesterchum going off surprised him, clicking to open the window. It was too early for his friends overseas to be online, and Rose was blocked still. The name was unfamiliar to boot. Probably just some random weirdo again, cruising the connection lists.

                                         

 

\--ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 19:20 --

[EB]: dave?

[TG]: the one and only dont you know

[TG]: whos this

[TG]: you a fan of the beats the pictures or the hottest comic sensation this side of Garfield

[EB]: the music, actually! it feels like it has a good tempo, and the rhythms are easy to follow.

 

Oh, here we go. Finally, more people talking to him about his music instead of just his comic. Dave bit his lip to suppress a grin at having his ego stroked. It was something that always made him feel better.

 

[TG]: excellent taste man

[EB]: yeah, i especially liked the third track. i think it was called “cardinal cog”?

 

Whoa, wait. That hadn’t been put out online, not even the name that he recalled. Had it? He’d sped through that CD so fast, it was possible that he’d re-used a name by mistake. Right? Dave was never at his absolute top abilities when a rush was on like that, nerves eating him alive.

 

[EB]: rose gave me your pesterchum! but, hear me out, okay? i wanted to apologize.

[TG]: dude thats my line

[TG]: im the goon that gave you a cd and ran

[EB]: no, no, really. just listen okay? i forget that people don’t know about how i can still enjoy music, or that not everyone knows signs. i got kind of spoiled by the people who’ve started learning it, and cellphones and stuff.

[TG]: cell phones???

[EB]: yeah! i text people a lot, if they don’t know sign. also just because it’s faster sometimes, and easier to explain things. certain ideas don’t transfer that well, or i get flustered and can’t make my hands go fast enough.

 

John told Dave that he’d been born deaf, knew sign language and how to read lips. Dave learned about how John settled near speakers and enjoyed the vibrations, and that he adored the heavy beats to Dave’s music because it was easier to make out and get lost in. They learned each other’s birthdays and favorite colors, interests. They traded cellphone numbers and switched from the computer to texting once John’s father made him log off Pesterchum.

It wasn’t until dawn, phone plugged into the wall to continue functioning beyond its dead battery, that John agreed to go out to a movie with him so long as Dave promised to try making another CD sometime for him. They both planned to continue texting at school, abusing their unlimited text plans, and try meeting up in the halls and for lunch.

Before getting dressed and ready to drag himself to school, Dave logged back onto Pesterchum.

 

\--turntechGodhead [TG] has unblocked tentacleTherapist [TT] --

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] has begun pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] at 06:45 --

[TG]: before you even say a damn word

[TG]: thanks

[TG]: also as an fyi

[TG]: he likes matthew mcconaughey more

[TG]: and apparently hell sell his immortal soul for curly fries not big macs

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] at 06:46 --

\-- tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 06:50 --

[TT]: I take it everything went well, considering John just made my cellphone blow up asking for advice on how to go on a date without looking foolish?

\-- turntechGodhead is now an idle chum! --

[TT]: Never mind. I’ll be getting these facts out of you this afternoon.

\-- tentacleTherapist [TT] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 06:52 --


End file.
